Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming up for the Big Island.

First thing you need to know: the entire 16-day window is a write-off for Kohala Lighthouse. There is not a single decent session on offer. The pattern is locked in, and it’s ugly. From the morning of Friday the 14th all the way through to the end of the month, it’s a constant battle with strong cross-shore winds, messy chop, and poor surf quality. The first real recommendation doesn’t even appear until Sunday the 16th, and even then it’s only a marginal nod with a 2 out of 10 – that’s how bad it is.

Let’s break it down. Friday the 14th kicks off with a solid 7 ft swell from the ENE, but that 25 mph cross-shore wind is a killer. The combined energy is moderate (751), but the surface is a mess. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 25 mph cross-onshore, the swell jumps to 8 ft, and the energy is strong (1416) – but it’s all blown out. Saturday the 15th is a complete write-off: near gale-force winds at 34 mph in the morning, then a full gale at 40 mph in the afternoon, with an 12 ft, short-period swell (11 seconds morning, 9 seconds afternoon). That’s expert-only stuff, and with those winds, it’s a kite-surfing show, not a paddle session.

The only faint glimmer comes Sunday the 16th morning. The wind drops to almost nothing – 3 mph from the NE, making it a light cross-shore. The swell is 8 ft from the ENE, period is a short 8 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (815). The water temperature here is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual. But the break is a consistent reef, so it needs a clean window. The morning is glassy, but the short period means the waves will be a bit dumpy and fat. It’s marginal, but if you’re desperate, that’s your only hope. The afternoon sees the wind return to 9 mph, so that window is gone.

From Monday the 17th onward, it’s a relentless grind. Fresh breezes of 19–22 mph, cross-shore every day, with lumpy cross-chop. Swells stay around 3 ft to 8 ft, but the wind never lets up. The energy values are moderate (often in the 200–400 range, with a few spikes into the 600s and 900s near the end of the month), but it’s all poor surf. There is a brief moment on the 21st (Friday morning) with clear skies and a 3 ft ENE swell, but again, 12 mph cross-shore wind ruins it.

The last week of August brings a bit more size – 7 ft on Thursday the 27th, 8 ft on Friday the 28th – but it’s still cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. The morning of Friday the 28th gets a marginal score of 1 out of 10, meaning it’s barely rideable. Even Saturday the 29th morning shows a 2 ft swell with a long 14-second period, but again, fresh cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. That long period would be a dream at a point or reef if the wind was right, but it’s not.

Bottom line: if you’re on the Big Island, don’t bother waxing up for the next two weeks at Kohala Lighthouse. The wind is your enemy, and it’s not giving up. Wait for a change in the pattern.

Rusty.

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